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Monday, 23 May 2011

It feels like this book took forever to arrive.... but it's ok because it's finally here! I've read so much hyper over this one, it better be good.... HarperCollins are publishing it in the UK, and I really hope they leave the cover alone. Seriously, the photo doesn't do it justice - it is a beautiful book to hold and a stunning book to look at (even if the model looks a tiny bit like Kimberly from Girl's Aloud...).

It feels as though every other book I read at the moment has a dystopian edge, which is ok as long as it's handled properly. Why is this trend so popular? How long will it last? And what will be the next trend to take over teen fiction? Have been pondering these questions a lot lately (especially in my role as a bookseller/buyer) but as yet have no answers. Would love to hear your suggestions....

Sunday, 15 May 2011

"I scream again, loud enough to wake everyone for a mile around. But I get the feeling nobody can hear me."

Just received Between by Jessica Warman in the post on Thursday, and after picking up some buzz about it from other booksellers I decided to dive right in. Am a few chapters in now, and I can already tell you that this book is pretty special. The first chapter alone will knock your socks off. Unfortunately, it won't be on the shelves until October 2011!!!

My heart goes out to the family and friends of Cameron Krokatsis, who sadly decided to take her life last week.

I knew Cameron as she came into my shop on a regular basis, often playing truant from school in order to spend hours between the pages of a good book. I used to tease her, saying that she was 'stealing words' but the truth was I liked having her around. I saw a lot of myself in her, and I often forgot that she was about ten years younger than me. She was the kind of kid who had everything to live for, who was frustrated by her own youth, and who could have achieved whatever she set her heart to. The world has lost a bright spark and I can't emphasise my sadness at never getting to recommend a book to her ever again.

Henceforth this blog is dedicated to Cameron, and for all the lost souls out there who find solace in words.

Thursday, 5 May 2011

So.... I'm back to thinking that I should keep this blogging thing up and that I shouldn't leave it alone for so long next time. Here's to me getting back to blogging!

Firstly, in the style of some other bloggers I admire, I'm going to start posting pics of books that I get for review. Then I may actually going about reviewing them, if you're lucky... So here's the first couple of pics from my 'In My Mailbox' album:

We have here: Nothing by Janne Teller, Falling Fast by Sophie McKenzie, Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor and Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone comes out in September, and annoyingly, will be sectioned off in the 'sci-fi and fantasy' departments of bookshops rather than the teen department (which is sooo annoying!!!). It tells the story of the mysterious Kazou, and her connections to the strange place of Elsewhere, and geez louise it's one heck of a story! Fans of Cassandra Clare will absolutely love it - it's full of mystical creatures, features an age-old battle between angels and demons, plus there's a kickass heroine with blue hair to fawn over. If it were to be made into a film then Guillermo del Toro would have to direct it. It had a slightly more 'adult' feel to it than other teen books I've read (the early scene featuring Kazou's ex-boyfriend posing for a life drawing class was... erm... *blushes* interesting...) but once the story got going it was a great romantic adventure. Laini Taylor has an incredible talent for visual description - just wait until you meet the creepy character of Razgut, who is decidedly disgusting - however there are sections in the novel where she indulges the strangeness a bit too much; sometimes I wanted more of Kazou, who you grow to really love and admire, in the real world, especially towards the end. Annoyingly it ends on a killer cliff-hanger (noooooo!!!!) but the pictures Taylor paints will stay in your mind for a long time after you've finished reading it. It's a big and beefy book, but I promise it won't disappoint.

The second book I'll review in this post is Nothing by Janne Teller. If you like dark, twisted and disturbing, then please read this one. If it leaves you feeling shaken and horrified at the end, don't blame me - Teller has one twisted imagination. It reads like an old fairytale; I was reminded particularly of the rare (and often omitted from texts, for good reason) tale by the Brothers Grimm 'How Some Children Played at Slaughtering' (read it here!). In Nothing, which was originally published in Denmark in 2000, a schoolboy realises that there is no meaning in the world, and goes and sits in a plum tree and taunts his school friends. The school friends, tired and annoyed by the rants, decide to gather together a collection of objects to prove that there is indeed meaning in the world. What then follows is shocking and macabre. As I said, it's dark and twisted, but utterly brilliant. It will leave you questioning the meaning of everything around you, and perhaps even deliberating what you would likely add to the collection.

Not sure when I'm going to get around to reading the other two books - but will let you know! Here is a list of the last few things I've read:

Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr

Abandon by Meg Cabot

Beastly by Alex Flinn

Uglies and Pretties by Scott Westerfield

I don't want to be the kind of blogger who reviews absolutely everything I read - especially if it's just 'meh' - but will keep you posted on all the important ones. Plus I will also let you know what I've been reading anyway, so you can just ask me for opinions if you can see I've read something that you want to know more about.

Will leave this post there for now - let's hope I can keep up this blogging lark for a bit longer than last time!

About Me

Hi, I'm Nicole! I'm an actual proper writer person, but don't freak out if you're on a online book retailer and nothing comes up when you search for my name. My first novel, Othergirl, will be coming out in 2015 with Andersen Press. Until then, you can read about my life and general musings right here!